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A collapsed house falling into the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by marine debris. NPS Photo on 5-10-2022.

The coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina is just a small spot on the map, but it’s a big place in the hearts of the people who live, own property, and vacation there. Located along Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Rodanthe has been in the national spotlight because of a succession of houses that have fallen into the Atlantic Ocean due to beach erosion. There have been ten houses affected in the past four years, and five this year alone. 

As the Traveler and other national media outlets have reported, every time a beach house succumbs to the sea, it creates a massive debris field that is carried down the shore for miles, posing serious hazards to people, flora and fauna alike. Residents have described the phenomenon as a slow-motion hurricane. 

In addition to the ongoing discussions about other at-risk houses, there is the very real issue of cleanup. The National Park Service brings in contractors who take out debris in truckloads, but that doesn’t mean that local residents are just standing idly by. Recently Traveler correspondent Kim O’Connell had the pleasure of interviewing local Tom Brueckner the day before he was set to join a group of residents to do a big beach cleanup as part of the National Park Service’s newly launched Adopt-A-Beach program.

 

0:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
0:12 Episode Intro with Jess Repanshek
1:13 Sieur de Monts - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
1:34 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
1:54 Smokies Life
2:18 Friends of Acadia
2:43 NPT Promo
3:00 Episode 294 - Rodanthe Beach Cleanup
17:39 No’Easter - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
18:14 Episode Closing
19:07 Orange Tree Productions
19:40 Splitbeard Productions
19:52 National Parks Traveler footer

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The coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina is just a small spot on the map, but it’s a big place in the hearts of the people who live, own property, and vacation there. Located along Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Rodanthe has been in the national spotlight because of a succession of houses that have fallen into the Atlantic Ocean due to beach erosion. There have been ten houses affected in the past four years, and five this year alone. 

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 291 | Campaign for the Parks

It was back in 1967 when the Congress chartered the National Park Foundation to serve as the official charity of the National Park Service, and over the decades it has raised millions of dollars for the parks.
 
The Foundation is in the midst of its Campaign for National Parks, a billion-dollar campaign that has already raised $815 million. A big chunk of that total came from a recent $100 million grant that greatly moved the foundation closer to its billion-dollar goal.
 

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